30Copyright 2015, CBSSports.comhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/6009668
en-usTue, 03 Mar 2015 17:31:30 ESTRandom thoughts... : CBSSports.com Blogshttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/20210762?source=rss_blogs_General#commentsGeneralhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/20210762?source=rss_blogs_General
I have been reading derogatory comments about Pittsburgh off and on since I have been on this site and have come to realize that people here know very little about my town. For the record I have enjoyed most cities in this great nation of ours and I really feel that the mid to large cities on this country are America and to hate them is to hate this nation. The facts are people judge these places and haven&rsquo;t even been to most of them or if they have it wasn't very long at all. That being said I do believe Pittsburgh is a stand out, so if you care, here is what it special about my hometown.<p></p>Colleges and Universities:<p></p> There are 8 colleges and Universities inside the city limits of Pittsburgh (and another 2 dozen within an hours drive). Included in Pittsburgh's Universities are two of the top academic schools in the nation in Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon, and one of the top 10 medical schools in the nation at the University of Pittsburgh.<p></p>My hometown; Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaSat, 21 Aug 2010 14:43:03 EDThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/20210762?source=rss_blogs_Generalhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/16463322?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/16463322?source=rss_blogs_NFL
Least Successful North American Pro Sports Teams<p></p>NFL - Saints (42 seasons) .411 winning%, 6 playoff years, 0 titles<p></p>NBA - Clippers (39 seasons) .362 winning% 7 playoff years, 0 titles<p></p>NHL - Coyotes -Jets (29 seasons) .467 win% 16 playoff years, 0 division, conference or league titlesLeast Successful North American Pro Sports TeamsSat, 15 Aug 2009 8:29:52 EDThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/16463322?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13574681?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13574681?source=rss_blogs_NFL
So the other day I realized this will be the 25th season I have followed the Steelers and the NFL. I started to reminisce about the players over the years and it made me want to make a quarter century team. So here is my best Steelers roster of players from the last 25 years. QB &ndash; Ben Roethlisberger &ndash; two SB rings make it an easy pick for the starting QB QB &ndash; Neil O&rsquo;Donnell &ndash; Slightly above average starting QB in his prime, SB XXX aside QB &ndash; Kordell Stewart &ndash; It was between him, Bubby Brister or Mark Malone. Can be Slash if he is #3 RB &ndash; Jerome Bettis &ndash; One of the all time greats, easy pick here. RB &ndash; Willie Parker &ndash; 2 Super Bowls, three very solid seasons as a starter, 2 Pro Bowl selections RB &ndash; Barry Foster &ndash; I will give him third because for about a season and a half he was amazing and there isn&rsquo;t much else to pick from. FB &ndash; Merrill Hoge &ndash; 3,000 yds rushing, 34 TDs, 240 catches and a good blocker to boot. FB - Dan Kreider &ndash; bruising blocker, it was between him, Jon Witman or Tim Lester WR &ndash; Hines Ward &ndash; Hall of Famer, 800 catches, best blocking WR in the league WR &ndash; John Stallworth &ndash; He only played three years in this period but it is enough. WR &ndash; Louis Lipps &ndash; Was the best player on a bad offense in his prime. 84 ROTY, great punt returner his first two years. WR &ndash; Yancey Thigpen &ndash; 226 catches as a Steeler, was great in 95 and 97 his only two healthy years as a starter. WR &ndash; Plaxico Burress &ndash; 261 catches and 22 TDs in 5 years, clearly better than anyone else left TE - Heath Miller &ndash; 168 catches 21 TDs in 4 years, 2 SB rings, good blocker TE &ndash; Eric Green &ndash; 198 catches 24 TDs in 5 years, was a problem player though and they don&rsquo;t last in Pittsburgh long. TE &ndash; Mark Bruener &ndash; 137 catches 16 TDs and a great blocker for 9 years. (bet ya didn&rsquo;t know he is still playing!) OT - Tunch Ilkin &ndash; Best Steeler tackle of the 80&rsquo;s 2 time pro bowler OT &ndash; John Jackson &ndash; Best Steeler tackle of the 90&rsquo;s, 0 pro bowls because of HOF tackles in the AFC at the time. OT &ndash; Max Starks &ndash; I was going to put Marvel Smith here but who is the only Steeler offensive lineman to start two SBs in the last 30 years? Max Starks is. OG &ndash; Alan Faneca &ndash; Easy pick, future HOFer OG &ndash; Duval Love &ndash; an under appreciated guard from the mid 90&rsquo;s, very solid player OG Carlton Hasslrig &ndash; Great player for 2 years then went nuts, still having trouble to this day I hear. C &ndash; Dermontti Dawson &ndash; &ldquo;Dirt&rdquo; should be in the hall, 7 time pro bowler C &ndash; Mike Webster &ndash; played 4 years in this period went to three pro bowls, may he rest in peace. XOL &ndash; Jeff Hartings &ndash; Was a three time pro bowler as a Steeler center, won a ring in &lsquo;05 DE &ndash; Aaron Smith &ndash; A great player when you look at the whole body of work, the only Steeler DE to go to a pro bowl since L.C. Greenwood. DE- Brett Keisel &ndash; This pair we have right now is as good as we have had in a long time. DE - Ray Seals &ndash; Arguably the best pass rusher the Steelers have had at DE since they switched to a 3-4 in the 80&rsquo;s. 15.5 sacks in 2 years. DE &ndash; Gerald Williams &ndash; played DE and NT but was better as an end. 24.5 sacks in 9 years NT &ndash; Casey Hampton &ndash; He is a load in the middle, a lot of our success goes through him. NT &ndash; Joel Steed &ndash; Was exactly what Hampton is now, a load, he was a key in run to SB XXX. NT &ndash; Gary Dunn &ndash; Spent his last 3 years in this period, was a good gritty player, long forgotten. OLB &ndash; Greg Lloyd &ndash; top 3 LB in football for about a 6 year period, all around talent. OLB &ndash; Joey Porter &ndash; good pass rusher, big part of SB XL OLB &ndash; James Harrison &ndash; his selection as DPOTY, 2 team MVPs, and 2 SB rings got him on this list. OLB &ndash; Jason Gildon &ndash; one of our all time sack leaders. OLB &ndash; Kevin Greene &ndash; Still had my 53 rd spot open and it just feels good to add the beast to the team, had a great three years here. ILB &ndash; Levon Kirkland &ndash; Amazing skill for a LB in a DT body, 2 time pro bowler ILB &ndash; James Farrior &ndash; great energy and leadership, 2 SB rings ILB &ndash; David Little &ndash; 12 year vet started most of that time, went to pro bowl in 1990, passed away in 05. ILB &ndash; Hardy Nickerson &ndash; one of the Buccaneers all time greats was the first major loss for the Steelers in the new free agent era. CB &ndash; Rod Woodson &ndash; Going into the Hall this year and deservedly so, first ballot. CB &ndash; Dwayne Woodruff &ndash; good player for a decade, his leadership for young Woodson and Lake might be biggest contribution though. CB &ndash; Ike Taylor &ndash; terribly under rated by his own fans Taylor has been a solid piece of two championship defenses now. CB &ndash; Chad Scott &ndash; was also better than we thought, we got his best years out of him though. CB - Deshea Townsend &ndash; Edges out D. Washington and W. Williams by long tenure and two rings. S &ndash; Troy Polamalu &ndash; We are getting to see one of the best of all time right now, enjoy. S &ndash; Carnell Lake &ndash; the Steelers had a great defense through most of the 90&rsquo;s Lake was a big piece of that. 4 time pro bowler. S &ndash; Darren Perry &ndash; Underrated player, 32 Ints in 7 years, 7th in Steelers history, 1994 All Pro S &ndash; Donnie Shell &ndash; He only played 3 years in this period but it is enough to get him on the roster. One of the all time great safeties. S- Ryan Clark &ndash; very good player just edges out Brent Alexander, Chris Hope and Lee Flowers. K &ndash; Jeff Reed &ndash; with all due respect to Gary Anderson and even Norm Johnson, Reed&rsquo;s got two rings and made big kicks when they needed him to. He has also been very accurate in the hardest venue to kick in the NFL. P- Josh Miller &ndash; was a great punter in his prime, got a ring with the Pats. <p></p>Best Steelers 1985 - PresentThu, 25 Feb 2010 18:49:59 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13574681?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13250919?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13250919?source=rss_blogs_NFL
It seems to me that the run game is the forgotten key to this game. I expect the Cardinals to be absolutely shut down in the run game and the Steelers to dominate with Willie Parker. Parker has been healthy down the stretch and running very well. Baltimore held him down pretty well but there are only two defenses like that in football and the other one wears Black and Gold (no not the Saints!), the Cardinals will not stop them. I expect Pittsburgh to out rush Arizona by more than 100 yards, thus even if Fitzgerald or Boldin go off the Steelers still win something like 31-17. Here is a nice stat line for the game: <p></p>Ben Roethlisberger 17-26 204 yds 1 TD 0 INT <p></p>Willie Parker 26 carries 142 yds 2 TDs <p></p>Hines Ward 5 rec 62 yds 1 TD My official Super Bowl XLIII predictionSun, 01 Feb 2009 22:34:36 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13250919?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13046447?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13046447?source=rss_blogs_NFL
I am a life time Steelers fan and I am very excited tonight. I started really watching football when I was 9 in 1985, the Steelers stunk at that time. I remember watching them lose 51-0 in the mud verse the Browns in the late 80's, I remember all those championship game losses in the 90's and of course the Neil Odonnell Super Bowl verse the Cowboys. The SB XL win was excellent but I have to admit that all the crap that was said about the officiating took a little of the luster off of it. But this year, this will validate it. Two Super Bowl appearences in 4 years, this is a team with a Championship defense and a Championship QB. Another SB will help build Hall Of Fame resumes for some of these Steelers. Hines Ward getting closer all the time to being a lock for the hall, now Roethlisberger and Polamalu have good chances at getting there if they continue to be healthy. It will be an exciting couple of weeks here in Pittsburgh, black and gold will be covering every window and billboard this week. <p></p>How sweet it is when your team goes all the way.Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:20:00 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/13046447?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/12951647?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/12951647?source=rss_blogs_NFL
In the last two years we have seen some real coaching legends go into retirement or on vacation, some on their own some asked to go by the franchises they led. Bill Parcels, Mike Holmgreen, Bill Cowher, Marty Shottenheimer, Mike Shanahan and now one of the best of them all Tony Dungy. Most of the media has said he is a sure thing hall of famer but alas the community members on CBS seem to disagree. Surprised? Not me, we tend to be very negative on this board. But since there is a debate, I thought I would give my case in favor of Tony Dungy. <p></p>I have gathered the stats of the current 21 head coaches that are in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame to show how Dungy stacks up. <p></p>Argument against Dungy: His .474 post season winning percentage is not hall of fame worthy! <p></p>Tony Dungy, we'll see ya in Canton.Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:26:56 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/12951647?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6506644?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6506644?source=rss_blogs_NFL
Ok so to continue my early fantasy football ratings for the draft, today is runningbacks. I think the top 5 are head and shoulders above the rest, I think picks 6-12 in most drafts could see more QB&#39;s and maybe even a wr or 2. So here ya go: <p></p>L.T. (there isnt much question anymore, a few will take Peterson first but not most) <p></p>Adrian Peterson (have never seen a guy burst onto the scene like that, Bo Jackson was the closest) <p></p>Brian Westbrook (solidified himself among the leagues elite last year, still a recieving threat and a runner now) Fantasy Football RB RankingsWed, 14 Jan 2009 19:04:48 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6506644?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6453595?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6453595?source=rss_blogs_NFL
Ok so this is very early but I thought I would have some fun and show my early 2008 Fantasy Draft rankings. After the NFL draft and free agency i will run the polls I did last year to get your input on this. I will start with the QB&#39;s: <p></p>Tom Brady (if he loses Moss he is still number one he might just fall to the end of the first round) <p></p>Peyton Manning (WR corps could be better than ever if Harrison is healthy considering Anthony Gonzalez) <p></p>Tony Romo (was big time till about week 15, ceiling is too high to let him pass) Fantasy QB RatingsTue, 19 Feb 2008 18:07:58 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6453595?source=rss_blogs_NFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6009892?source=rss_blogs_NFL#commentsNFLhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6009892?source=rss_blogs_NFL
Ben Roethlisberger tells a reporter he is going to ask what for what he always ask for this off season, tall recievers. No doubt offending his own WR&#39;s who there is a clear 1,2 and 3 set for next season and maybe even his two TE&#39;s who proved to be redzone targets and are both over 6&#39;5.I have never questioned the ability or the heart of Ben Roethlisber but I do question him as a man, he will cause trouble with his mouth in years to come. I don&#39;t know if he watched his games on tape this year or not but what he needs is offensive linemen and more than two of them. The Steelers o-line was suspect to say the least the last 2 seasons and now they stand to lose their best player in Alan Faneca and probably their number 3 tackle Max Starks. I would seriously like to see the Steelers use three of their top 5 picks on the offensive line and maybe bring in a center or guard who could compete for a job. Overall they don&#39;t need all that much more, they would like to get a young safety and hopefully a healthy Ryan Clark back, they could also stand to add some young depth on the defensive line and maybe look for a blocking fullback if Dan Kreider is truely gone, luckily they are not hard to find. <p></p>Friday January 25thWed, 06 Feb 2008 16:35:12 ESThttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6009668/6009892?source=rss_blogs_NFL100http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/cbsdm/spec/cbssportscom.gifhttp://gosteelers86.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/view/6009668
100Random thoughts... : CBSSports.com Blogs